A Day of Learning and Community at the 9th Annual Ruby Bridges Reading Festival. This special event celebrates reading, diversity, and community, all in a vibrant, family-focused atmosphere. Perfect for children from pre-K through elementary school, the festival offers something for everyone, from inspiring storytelling to kids’ activities that make learning come alive. Now in its ninth year, the festival is presented in partnership with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, whose courage at age six integrating William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960 became one of the defining images of the Civil Rights Movement. Ruby’s story is not just history. It is a direct call to this generation of children to recognize their own power to stand up for what is right.
Kids will be delighted by exciting entertainment including balloon animals, a live puppeteer, and bubble making. Every child will have the chance to take home free books to build their personal libraries, and educators with a valid school ID can receive complimentary books for their classrooms. Through engaging stories and fun, interactive experiences, families will explore the importance of inclusion, kindness, and standing up for what is right. The festival is designed to demonstrate that literacy and civil rights are inseparable, that the ability to read is itself a form of power, and that stories about justice are among the most important a child can encounter.
The Ruby Bridges Reading Festival has grown each year since its founding, drawing families from Memphis and across the Mid-South who make it an annual tradition. Past festivals have featured thousands of book giveaways, celebrity authors, special performances, children’s marches, and interactive activities for every age. The 2026 edition continues that tradition with a full program of storytelling, entertainment, and education designed to send every child home with a book in their hands and a story in their heart. Do not miss this opportunity to celebrate literacy, civil rights, and the joy of being together. It is a day your family will not forget.